Roman numerals 1 to 100
Pick a number to see its Roman numeral, how it is built and the mistake to watch for, or use the converter to check any number to 100.
Roman numerals converter
Read any standard numeral up to C, or write any number from 1 to 100. Every step is shown, and a wrong numeral gets the rule it breaks.
A converter that reads standard Roman numerals up to C, or writes any whole number from 1 to 100, and shows every step.
Roman numerals chart 1 to 100
Read it in rows of ten: from 11 to 99, each numeral has a tens part before its ones. The final entry, 100, has its own letter: C.
The seven letters and three rules
| Letter | Worth | England curriculum |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Year 3 |
| V | 5 | Year 3 |
| X | 10 | Year 3 |
| L | 50 | Year 4 |
| C | 100 | Year 4 |
| D | 500 | Year 5 |
| M | 1,000 | Year 5 |
- Read left to right and add. LXVI is 50 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 66.
- A smaller letter before a bigger one is taken away. IX is 10 take away 1, which is 9. Up to 100 there are only four of these pairs: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40) and XC (90).
- Never write the same letter four times in a row, and never repeat V, L or D. 4 is IV, not IIII, and 40 is XL, not XXXX. Two fives make a ten, so 10 is X, never VV.
To write a number, split it into tens and ones first. 49 is 40 and 9, so XL and IX: XLIX, never IL.
Bigger numbers
In England, Year 5 extends the curriculum range to 1,000 and includes recognising years in Roman numerals. The 500 and 2,000 examples here help explore that notation; the curriculum does not name those specific examples.
Read more
Numbers to 100 have their own pages too: factors of every number from 2 to 100.
Questions parents ask
What are the seven Roman numeral letters?
I is 1, V is 5, X is 10, L is 50, C is 100, D is 500 and M is 1,000. In England, Year 4 reads numerals to 100; Year 5 extends the range to 1,000 and includes recognising years. D and M are useful for numbers in that larger range.
What are the rules for reading Roman numerals?
Read left to right and add. If a smaller letter comes before a bigger one, take it away: up to 100 there are only four of these pairs, IV (4), IX (9), XL (40) and XC (90). And in the standard form taught here, never write the same letter four times in a row, or V, L or D twice.
Is 4 IV or IIII?
4 is IV. Some clock faces show IIII, which is a clockmaker's tradition, but the rule children learn is never four of the same letter in a row.
Why is there no zero in Roman numerals?
The Romans had no symbol for zero and no place value, so there were no columns to keep empty. Comparing them with our digits gives one way to think about why zero and place value matter.
Want to practise more?
Explore the diagnostic for more practice activities.